Lily heard voices coming from down the corridor, the large dungeon. She smiled at the excited whispers, and let them be alone, to do whatever the wanted to do. Lily passed the large doors, and just a few paces from the door, a rough hand violently grabbed her wrist.

Quick as a flash Lily's hand darted for her wand and she stunned the dark figure.

'EXPELLIARMUS!'

Just as the light left her wand, Lily's wand flew out of her hand, and another person, dressed in black robes, so dark, that the silhouette was unnatural, appeared.

'Don't talk, to fight, don't move,' it said.

Lily felt a cold fire blaze down her spine.

She recognised the voice.

'That's right, girl,' it whispered. 'You stay where you are.'

Lily debated whether she was going to throw caution to the wind and talk. She was going to get hurt badly anyway, she could tell by the tone of the person's voice. Was this a life or death situation? I couldn't be that bad! This was in a school. Hogwarts in fact, where Dumbledore was, the greatest wizard alive.

Swallowing hard, she spoke. 'What are you –'

'I thought I told you not to speak!' spat the voice.

'You did. But I want to know why you are doing this and – and who you are.'

'And you think that I would be stupid enough to answer you?'

Lily didn't answer. She had no answer. She knew who this person was, but not what he was doing.

'Well, don't be so naïve. You're in your final year after all, Evans. Why don't you use your brain? You Gryffindors are all so insolent.'

'Well what do you want? What are you trying to do?' Sirius was right; Lily needed anger management at times. She breathed in and out. Slowly she counted to ten.

'You want to know? The turn around and walk!'

Lily didn't move.

'Crucio'

Lily felt a pang shoot through her body. It wasn't strong. Whoever used the curse on Lily either wanted Lily to arrive at the destination – wherever that was – unharmed, or was not experienced in using Unforgivable curses.

Slowly, Lily turned around and dragged her leaden legs down the hallway.

'There's a good girl …'

Lily's heart pumped harder, but tried to remain calm. As her body shook, she noticed that there were more of these people, all in a line, on both sides of the hallway.

'Now, up these stairs to the Entrance Hall, and out the doors.'

Lily climbed, praying that someone was up there … a prefect … a professor … Potter …

Lily stopped abruptly and felt a wand jab her back.

'Why are you stopping?' hissed the owner of the wand.

Lily shook he head and continued up the stairs. James, James was patrolling the first floor, the floor with the Entrance Hall, Great Hall, and anything else on that level.

Lily kept her eyes straight ahead, and tried not to avert them to the animal statues every few steps.

Lily reached the top of the landing and turned her ears on.

'Open the doors.'

'Wouldn't it be locked?'

'Open them.'

Lily hesitated; she wanted to wait for anyone who might just come by.

'Imper—'

'STUPEFY!'

Lily heard a wand clatter onto the ground and she flung around to see who had Stunned Snape.

At once, there where shouts of hexes, jinxes and curses thrown everywhere. Lily snatched her and Snape's wand, and ran for the broom cupboard not to far away.

'OH NO YOU DON'T! IMPEDIMENTIA!'

Lily felt her red hair singe.

Yes, Lily really did need anger management.

She flung her wand out and cursed at the spot where the voice came from.

Almost at once, there was a shower of green and red light, but Lily was too quick, she ducked and the spells broke the wooden door behind her. Lily shook her head, trying to find who was there to help her, but she saw not one face, all she saw were people in black robes and white masks.

Lily transfigured a couple of tables and vases into animals. They jumped up and ran through the legs of the masked, distracting them so that Lily could crawl to safety. She found a little niche in the wall and slipped in, pressing her back hard against the wall. Across from her was a full length mirror and Lily saw her sweaty face, and her chest lifting and falling.

'Reflectio extractio,' she muttered, and instead of just jabbing her wand at her reflection, she used her 'swish and flick' wrist movements. Even though Lily was not smiling, her Reflection flashed a grin at her. The Reflection Lily stepped out of the mirror. Lily raised her right hand, and her Reflection also raised her right.

'Good,' Lily told her Reflection. 'As you would know,' said Lily in a quiet but rushed voice, 'you are only a Reflection of me, so if you get hurt –'

'You won't get hurt, but you can feel it, and instead of jabbing it, you swished and flicked your wand so that I, the Reflection, have a mind of my own, but I am still attached to you and you are the only one who can control me.'

Lily smiled at her Reflection.

'You're a smart Reflection.'

'What do you expect? I Reflect you.'

Quickly, Lily explained to her Reflection what was going on, and that the Reflection just needed to be a distraction. Her reflection nodded intently. 'Mind Message me if you have anything else, and I'll Message you if anything happens. Good luck.'

Lily's Reflection stepped out of the shadowed alcove, and at once, Lily could feel that her Reflection was noticed. 'Go,' she whispered, 'go!'

Finally, after five minutes (and after Lily's Reflection had been hit a couple of times by spells), the real Lily ducked out and ran for the big oak doors. After only take three steps, she had to jump, so that a red spark missed her, and three steps after that, she bumped into a beautiful stag. Its coat was almost white – it was just tanned slightly. The stag pawed the ground and bent its slender legs, and bowed its head.

Lily looked around. Her Reflection was still fighting, but Lily could see that she was losing. Lily's Reflection had Snape's wand, but Snape's wand, even though it was real, didn't match the power and skill of Lily, and her real wand. The stag shook its head and snorted. Lily took the hint, and wrapped her arms around the stag's muscular neck to heave herself up. Lily was still surprised that no one had noticed that their target had just gotten up onto a great big stag, that stood out so clearly.

And to answer Lily's thought, a hex came hurtling her way.

'THAT'S A FAKE! THAT'S A REFLECTION! THE REAL ONE IS GETTING AWAY!'

Lily! Lily, her Reflection Messaged her. Lily, you have to get out now! The sooner you get out the better!

'IMPEDIMENTIA!'

Be careful! Lily Messaged back.

'STUPEFY!'

Do you really think that I am that thick? I can't feel the pain; you're the one that can feel what is happening … Just go Lily! You know what I mean! It's hard to explain … go!

Lily looked back at her Reflection. 'Alright, stag, go!'

The stag reared up and Lily hugged its neck and held on for dear life, just as another hex singed her hair. The stag galloped around and burst through the oak doors, and rode straight down the path, and around the castle until the pair of them were at the back of the castle. As the wind whooshed past Lily, sending her hair back, along with her tears.

When they had finally come to a trot, Lily slid off and shook her legs to ease the pain of her thighs. She turned around to pat the stag, but instead, was met with James' worried face.

'Wha-what happened with the stag?'

'Me. And this is dangerous, Lily.'

'Huh? And we can go get teachers.'

'We can't, I've just been all around the castle and there are – Death Eaters everywhere.'

'DEATH EATE—'

'Shush! Listen, I am an animagus, and when I heard this, I transformed and went to look for you – listen! – Right now it isn't safe. I heard that they were looking for someone to take to Voldemort' Lily gasped slightly, but James ignored her 'and –'

The colour drained from his face. Lily whipped around.

The pair of them were busy talking that they hadn't noticed that they were slowly being surrounded by people – Death Eaters.

'LILY! JAMES! DON'T –'

'SILENCIO! Have I not told you, have I not repeated myself, that you are not to speak? As a punishment, Stimmers, we will all here your screams of pain. Crucio!'

The sound of Jack Stimmers' shrieks echoed off the walls of the castle behind James and Lily. They stuffed their wands into their robes and blocked their ears, screamed, and tried to shake their heads to rid of the ear-piercing shriek, but the sound penetrated, and made them crumble. At long last, the noise died down, and the echoes could no longer rebound against the stone walls.

Lily shrunk back, and backed into James, her arms shaking. She felt a warm, but cold hand slide down her arm and squeezed her hand.

'Ah, Potter, Evans, I wanted to – welcome – you both here, before Stimmers offered his compliments first.

Lily swallowed. She felt James to the same. Lily edged closer to James. The warmth of his skin, the beat of his heart, the rising and falling of his chest, seemed to offer protection, a sanctuary.

'That's right Mudblood, cuddle up to your Blood Traitor.'

Lily shivered, the sentence was not thick in texture in any way, but it felt like diving off an iceberg in to the freezing waters of the North Pole.

'Cold are we? Come closer, Mudblood, you will receive warmth from here.

'Wh-what d-do you want w-with us?' stuttered Lily. James squeezed her hand even tighter. He knew that Lily was making a mistake.

'You really want to know? We have been planning this for so long. He has been planning this for so long.'

He. That's right. He. Voldemort. Planning … This was not a good thing…

'We have our orders for you – and no Evans, don't open your mouth, we won't tell you what our orders are.' Lily closed her mouth furiously. 'However, we shall tell you what we have been told to tell you.

'The only piece of information that you are to be told is that you will be accompanying us somewhere.'

'Where?' This time it was not Lily who spoke.

'Oh … Potter … we will be going … somewhere. Don't bother to pull your wands out, you are surrounded and if you turn around, you will see wands pointed directly at you,' added the Death Eater. 'Now, be a good Head Boy and Girl, and be a model for your fellow student. You are going to walk here – walk – and join Stimmers.'

Lily and James slowly dragged their leaden legs to Jack, after they were jabbed in the back by a wand each. They both stood next to Jack, quivering in fear.

'Should we take their wands?' said a female voice.

'Take their wands? There is no need. They cannot escape, and we weren't told to confiscate them either.'

The female Death Eater lowered her head.

'Portus,' said the leader of the Death Eater ring. The branch on the ground glowed slightly in the dark, and then the light faded. 'Touch the branch; it will transport you.'

There is no way I am going to touch it. I don't even know where we are going to end up!

'Really, are you that stubborn? Imperio.'

A relaxing sensation swept over Lily.

Touch the branch.

Lily reached out for the branch, and say three other arms do the same.

Reach out and touch it.

I am, can't you see that?

Touch it.

If you keep telling me to touch it I won't. Can't you see my hand out to touch it?

Touch it.

That's the final straw. I'm not touching it.

Touch it. Touch it. TOUCH IT.

Lily's arm reached forward, but at the same time, tried to withdraw it to her side. When she was inches away from the bark, her whole body stopped. She had fought the Imperious Curse just in time. She saw two other hands even closer to the bark than her own.

With one hand each, she slapped the hands away. She watched the dazed faces on the two wizards beside her, while still slapping their hands away furiously. There was a very pained expression.

'STUPEFY!' Lily yelled. The Death Eater was caught completely off-guard, and the Imperious Curse was lifted. James and Jack shook their heads, and their eyes were wide with confusion.

Lily heard a growl of frustration and the three of them heard someone Revive the Stunned Death Eater. Quickly, Lily, James and Jack scrambled to their feet and dove further into the forest.

'AFTER THEM!'

Behind the trio, they heard the crash as twenty or so Death Eaters kick away the branches and shrubs. Deeper and deeper the three went, with blood trickling down their faces. Lily had a gash across her left cheek, James was cupping a bloody nose, and Jack was supporting a sprained wrist.

'GO, GO, GO!' yelled James. Lily looked back. James was lying on the ground with his foot at an unusually angle and Jack was bending over him.

'JUST GO! I'M LOSING TOO MUCH BLOOD AND I CAN'T GET ANYWHERE WITH THIS BROKEN ANKLE.'

Lily ran over to Jack's side.

'He's got a broken ankle. I can't do anything –'

'Episkey. Ferula.'

'We've got to help –'

'DON'T! I'm just going to slow you down with this piece of –'

'We are not going to leave you alone,' panted Lily, as she and Jack dragged James further into the forest. 'I don't care how much it hurts, but it can't hurt as much as Crucio.'

'I DON'T CARE! DON'T YOU SEE! WOULD YOU RATHER SAVE TWO LIVES OR KILL THREE?'

James tried to fight off the Jack and Lily, but was having some difficulty, for Jack was carrying his legs, and Lily was supporting his arms and head.

'That is not and option James Potter, so you just shut your trap and let us – DUCK JACK!' Jack and Lily ducked as a curse sped through the thicket, and James' back scraped against the ground.

'See what I mean? Just let me go alright?'

'James, stop it. Don't try and pretend that you are going to be some hero and somehow stay alive at the end of this, even if you are only a second away from death. This isn't like the movies – wait, you don't know what motion pictures are.'

'Stop talking to yourself. If you two do not let me go, then I will hex you into oblivion. And even though I don't have my wand, I can still do magic at times–'

'EXPELLIO!' came the cry of a voice.

The last thing that Lily remembered was a great big dirty branch hurtling straight at James, Jack and Lily, and a jolt, just behind Lily's navel, as her feet left the ground.

A/N
Hey! Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, or just a plain happy holidays to those who don't celebrate anything. (I don't know much about religion, sorry if i left out your religious ceremony/celebration out.)

I was meant to upload this chapter yesterday, but you see ... uh ... i was making Harry Potter - I mean Draco Malfoy - skins for my Draco-loving friend. My Christmas present to you Alice! Sorry, it won't be wrapped up properly. I'm not good at wrapping up presents. You see, it runs in the family, so um...yeah...

Anyway ... I'll just leave you all alone to review, flame me, give me Christmas presents, etc, while I try and finish the next chapter.